The Scent of Tulips

The flower itself symbolizes elegance and grace, and its colors — ranging from red to purple to shades of black — are associated with love, royalty and power. The tulip, and its dignity, frames The Scent of Tulips, a one-act play by Boston-based playwright Marty Kingsbury, set in 1994. The 30-minute one-act play is a snapshot of two women in their 80s (Cynthia and Donna) who have been partners for years, well before marriage equality, and Cynthia (played by Nancy Boyett) is dying of cancer. Boyett joins Sharon Rosalyn Sless in a Zoom production of the play, directed by Carol Dennis. The three are reprising their roles from 24 years ago when Dennis ran a Eugene-based company called Little Apple Productions, which did plays by women and about women. This month’s performance is put on by the Minority Voices Theatre arm of Very Little Theatre and will include a 12-minute conversation between Dennis and Kingsbury after the play.      

The Scent of Tulips runs Aug. 3 to 16, and can be seen anytime on those days either at MinorityVoicesTheatre.org or on the Very Little Theatre Facebook page. FREE. — Dan Buckwalter